bottled milkshakes
The new range of affordable dairy products developed using Tate & Lyle’s stabilisers and functional systems include bottled milkshakes. Credit: Nikolai Chernichenko on Unsplash.

Tate & Lyle and Long Life Dairy have collaborated to produce a range of low-cost, long shelf-life products that do not require refrigeration.

Primarily developed for families in South Africa with limited access to refrigeration, the dairy products include bottled milkshakes, yoghurt-style dairy snacks and custard pouches. They were made using Tate & Lyle’s stabilisers and functional systems and are claimed to be shelf stable for up to one year.

Long Life Dairy general manager Stefan Van der Berg said: “Many dairy products on sale in South Africa require cold storage and, although ambient shelf-life milk and custard are widely available, there are few on-the-go dairy options for immediate consumption.

“We believe that our new long-life dairy products developed with Tate & Lyle are unique in the South African dairy market, due to their on-the-go format and the innovative stabilisers and functional systems used to deliver nutrition, shelf stability and great taste at an affordable price.

“Ambient dairy is an exciting new sub-category for our business and we are exploring opportunities to introduce the new range to consumers in other African regions.”

Tate & Lyle’s technical service teams in Johannesburg and Germany worked with Long Life Dairy’s development team to trial different recipe formulations. The final formula will be placed into full-scale production at the manufacturer’s new facility in Pretoria, South Africa.

Tate & Lyle’s South Africa technical support manager Neels Poerstamper said: “Using our innovative stabiliser ingredient blends, we are proud to have helped Long Life Dairy to create an innovative new product range that will help more families to enjoy the benefits of dairy, particularly those without access to cold storage.

“This product innovation demonstrates how, with customers, we are providing access to nutritious and affordable foods, and delivering on our purpose of Improving Lives for Generations.”

Long Life Dairy is a subsidiary of South Africa-based company Unique Dairy.